Mercury transit wows skywatchers worldwide

Mercury has begun a relatively rare move across the sun. The transit will last for a total of about seven and half hours.
USA TODAY

Mercury is seen as a small black dot moving across the face of the sun, seen from Stockholm, Sweden, on May 9, 2016. Mercury, the sun and the Earth line up just a dozen times per century.(Photo: JOHAN NILSSON / TT, AFP/Getty Images)

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A woman holds a welder's mask in front of her daughter to help her watch Mercury's transit at The Birla Planetarium in Chennai India. A transit of Mercury across the sun takes place when the planet comes between the sun and Earth, and Mercury is seen as a small black dot moving across the face of the sun. Arun Sankar, AFP/Getty Images

The planet Mercury is seen in silhouette as it transits across the face of the sun in Boyertown, Pa. Mercury passes between Earth and the sun only about 13 times a century, with the previous transit taking place in 2006. Bill Ingalls, NASA via Getty Images

The transit of Mercury in front of the sun is seen from Salgotarjan, Hungary. A transit of Mercury across the sun takes place when the planet comes between the sun and Earth and Mercury is seen as a small black dot moving across the face of the sun. Peter Komka, European Pressphoto Agency

The planet Mercury, seen as a small black dot, passes in front of the sun and is observed by astrophysicist Carsten Denker on a projection, at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam in Germany. Ralf Hirschberger, European Pressphoto Agency

An Indian astronomy enthusiast uses his mobile telephone to capture an image of Mercury's transit through a reflection from a telescope at The Birla Planetarium in Chennai. Arun Sankar, AFP/Getty Images